Secrets
by Kyla2
Summary: It's over!!! I can't believe it. I now have nothing more to do with my pathetic life. Tell me what you think, yes, no, sequel? I'm not sure onthat one, myself. R/R!!!
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: All names, characters, or titles belong solely to Tamora Pierce.**

  
  


**Secrets**

  
  


**Chapter One**

  
  


As Daine Sarrasri sat with the dying starling in her lap, she wept for the tiny bird who had risked its life to help her. She hadn't heard the stormwing fly up behind her, but he wild magic she possessed allowed her to sense its presence. She hadn't turned around until it was too late. The male stormwing's silver talons raked her scalp, tearing her flesh down to the bone. Bright flashes of light filled her vision as she screamed and fainted. 

  
  


When she awoke, she found the stormwing impaled upon a jagged rock at the side of the trail. The immortal's eyes had been pecked away, and the brave starling who had come to her rescue lay in the middle of the road. Deep in shock from loss of blood and extreme pain, the bird shook tremendously.

  
  


Daine gingerly picked up the creature, determined to help it. Focusing her energy, she calmed the frightened animal and tended to the worst of its wounds. First she regenerated its blood and fused the bones in the broken wing back together. The muscles, nerves and tendons took more concentration and soon her breeches and shirt were soaked in sweat. 

  
  


Opening her eyes, she found a long, hair covered snout staring down at her through large brown eyes. Her horse Cloud nuzzled her as she attempted to stand. Finding it quite impossible, she sat back down and leaned against the cliff-face.

  
  


You almost dipped into your life-force to heal that bird, Cloud said tartly. The horse spoke through her mind, which most two-leggers found annoying since they could only hear half of the conversation. 

"I had to do _something_, Cloud. That starling saved my life," Daine looked about, but the bird was no where to be found.

  
  


It left a little while ago, the horse said impatiently. You had fallen asleep and I thought it best not to wake you. Perhaps we should go now. There could be more winged patrols around and Stork-man is probably worried. You said you'd be back by midday. Its almost dusk. 

  
  


The girl stared at the sky and realized her horse friend was right. The sun dipped low over the horizon and a range of color surrounded the forest.

  
  


"Numair is probably out of his mind," she agreed. She and Numair Salmalin had been lovers for going on a year and a half, ever since he had saved her from the spidrens in the Divine Realms. She had thought about his proposal of marriage often since then, but never had the courage to accept, fearing he would want to be with a woman rather then a child. At eighteen, Daine was hardly a child, but Numair was thirty-two and the gap between them was hard to over come. 

  
  


Struggling to her feet, she suddenly felt sick. Turning away from Cloud, Daine threw up in the bushes. Wiping her mouth, she leaned against her horse's warm body.

  
  


"I've never been sick like that after I've healed someone," she murmured aloud. Shrugging, she climbed onto Cloud, who led the way back to the camp she and Numair had pitched that morning.

  
  


***

  
  


It was dark by the time Daine and Cloud made it back to camp. Numair had a fire blazing as they trotted into the clearing. He jumped, surprised by Cloud's sudden entrance, and dropped the small mirror he had been holding. 

  
  


Daine nearly fell off her horse, but she managed to stumble gracefully into Numair's strong arms. He buried his face in her smokey brown hair, kissing the top of her head as he muttered something about scrying. 

"Don't ever do that to me again, Magelet," he said, his tone more relieved than stern. "I almost had Kitten and Tkaa go out looking for you."

  
  


At the sound of her name, Kitten looked up from the mirror Numair had dropped and chirped angrily. Barely five years old, the dragon was two feet long from head to foot, with another twelve inches of tail. The tiny wings that would one day carry her in flight lay uselessly on her back. Her scales, which changed color with her moods, were bright red in rage. 

  
  


Tkaa, a basilisk with many of the traits a lizard might possess, walked over to the couple on its hind legs, carrying its long tail off the ground. The immortal's pebbled hide was a dark grey hue, shining like a pearl, with a lighter grey tone on his stomach. He stopped a few feet away from them, acknowledging their need for a private moment. "I must agree with my young cousin," the basilisk said shrewdly. "You were gone quite a long time. Although I'm sure you can take care of yourself in familiar territory, we are not in a land that seems welcoming to outsiders."

  
  


Daine nodded a quick apology, giving a quiet yelp as Numair kissed one of the deep cuts on her head. Taken aback, he inspected her scalp delicately and gasped when he saw her injury.

"Daine, why didn't you tell me you were hurt? Come on, we'll fix you up." Numair took her arm and began to lead her towards the bedroll they shared. 

  
  


"Numair, I'm fine. Really I am." Not a moment later, her knees buckled and she landed with a thud on the soft packed dirt of the forest floor.

  
  


"Falling over does not constitute 'fine', Magelet," he replied, picking her up to carry her the rest of the way back to the fire. He laid her down on the down feather comforter and used a healing ointment to mend her wounds. She began to explain what happened as he worked, but soon she grew tired and fell asleep in his arms.

  
  


***

  
  


Numair had already cleaned up the campsite by the time Daine woke up the next morning. Cloud was packed with her saddle bags filled, and Numair's gelding Spots was standing ready to go. Numair and Kitten feasted silently on a breakfast of porridge, while Tkaa crunched noisily on the rocks from the river bed near by.

  
  


Nausea overtook the girl as she rushed off to relieve her churning stomach. Numair, who had seen her wake up, followed in concern. He found her doubled over by the trail.

  
  


"We need to get back to Tortall," he whispered as he helped her to her feet. "You need a healer. I can't tell what's wrong with you."

  
  


"Numair, I'm _fine_. I just ate something that disagreed with me, that's all," Daine slipped her body into the crook of his arm and leaned her head against his chest. She heard his heart beating fast, which, even in her current state of misery, made her smile. 

  
  


"I don't see what you're laughing about," he muttered as they walked back to camp. "You could be ill with unicorn fever again. Perhaps we should take the road back home, and save the back trails for when you are feeling better."

  
  


Daine sighed, amazed at the extent of his concern. He loved her, after all, and he showed it every day they were together. She looked up at him as he sat her down on a log by the fire. Afraid that arguing with him would only hurt his feelings, she nodded and allowed Numair to finish picking up camp. 

  
  


Kitten bounded over on all fours, trilling in concern. She planted her fore paws on Daine's knee and stared at her with slit-pupiled eyes.

  
  


"My stomach's a mess, Kit," the girl said as the tiny dragon nuzzled her belly. "Maybe Numair is right. Maybe we _should _take the long road home."

  
  


Kitten chirped and whistled, then walked over to sit with Tkaa.

  
  


Numair put the last of their supplies on their packhorse, Mangle, and helped her climb onto Cloud. He took out a piece of parchment and pen, scribbled a quick note and leaned close to Daine's ear. "Would you call a hawk, a fast one preferably, to be a messenger to Tortall? An important letter to the king must be delivered"

  
  


She nodded and closed her eyes, searching the forest with her mind. A deep voice boomed inside her head. -_You called, child of the People?_-

  
  


She spoke silently to the hawk, telling him of the mission to the king. Intrigued, the hawk accepted. Numair tied the scroll to its leg when it set down on Daine's shoulder. A quick beat of its wings and it was gone.

  
  


"Come, Magelet. It's a few days ride back and you'll need some rest in between. Let's go while we still have light." Numair kissed her hand and placed Kitten in her special saddle bag at Cloud's side. He climbed upon Spots and led the way to the main road.

  
  
  
  


Author's note: Alright this is my first fan fic, so keep the flames to a minimum. I'd really like to know what everyone thinks. R/R please.


	2. Discoveries

Chapter Two: Discoveries

The party arrived in Tortall at noon of the third day. To Daine's great surprise, the King's Champion, Alanna of Pirate's Swoop and Olau, Onua the horsemistress for the Queen's Riders, and and an elderly woman whom Daine recognized wiated for them by the stables. 

"So kind of you to meet us, Lady-Knight," Numair called to the Champion as they drew nearer. He turned to Daine and said, "Onua will take care of the Cloud and Mangle. You just follow Alanna and Mistress Cooper. They'll tend to you. I have to get back out and meet up with a company of the King's Own, but i'll be back in a few days. I promise." He kissed her gently and turned his horse. Daine watched wistfully as he road off.

The afternoon's intense heat and the long days of riding caught up with her then, and she began to slip off the horse. Cloud moved to keep her from falling, but she continued the short drop to the ground.

Alanna, who had seen the girl faltering, caught her by the shoulders and eased her slowly onto the grass. Although she remained concious, Daine's vision grew cloudy. She heard the Lioness call for Stefan, the palace stable boy, and two pairs of strong arms lifted and carried her across the courtyard. Two large doors creaked open and a flight of stairs took them up to a long hallway. More creaking and she was placed on a soft bed made of down feathers.

"How is she?" Daine heard a female voice say. It wasn't Alanna or her mother-in-law, Mistress Cooper. It seemed softer and more elegant, yet full of authority. Queen Thayet of Tortallleaned closer to Daine's forehead, her ivory skina bit pale. "Don't worry, we'll figure out what's wrong with you." She didn't act like a normal queen should. Daine understood that when she first came to Tortall. In fact, none of the royalty ever acted as though they even had a station. She was a common-born, mid-wife's daughter from the North. Why would they ever associate with her?

Thanks to Onua, would had introduced her to the Lioness, they did associate with her. The Lioness had, in turn, introduced her to the king and queen. They were always helping her, even after they found out about her and Numair's relationship. Daine had tried to hide the fact that they were together, but she was found out when Alanna saw her kissing Numair.

So, as Mistress Cooper, the Lioness, and Thayet administered herbs and healing magic, Daine slowly regained her vision. The room around her became clearer, and she recognized its somewhat chaotic clutter. 

Numair's desk was in the corner, stacked high with documents and scrolls. The door to his work room was locked, protected by a magic spell. Kitten, who had followed them up the stairs, trilled sharply and the lock popped open. She sauntered into the next room as Daine smiled and settled down in the bed she and Numair shared. She lay,silently watching the older women confer in the corner of the room.

"...are you sure?..."

"...check again..."

Daine heard small pieces of the conversation, but could not place a finger on what they spoke about. Thayet shot nervous glances at her, the pale tone in her face more noticable than ever. She wrung her hands when Daine caught her eye, then turned back to the group. A quick word was exchanged before the queen bustled out the door closing it softly behind her.

Alanna and Mistress Cooper came and sat on the bed next to her. Alanna took her hand and nodded towards the older woman by her side.

"You remember Mistress Cooper, right? George's mother? Well, Numair asked that she be here, since she is the ebst healer the city can offer. She-"

"'Numair asked'?" Daine said, interrupting the Lioness. 

She nodded and continued, "In the letter he sent on the hawk. Well, Mistress Cooper told Queen Thayet and I something that we didn't expect from you for a long time, so it must be as much of of a surprise as it was for us. At least I hope it's a surprise. You wouldn't plan something like this,and Numair hasn't exactly proposed to you or anything, but I guess I should just come out and say it. Daine. Mistress Cooper thinks you might be pregnant."

Daine was quiet for a moment, not really understanding what she had been told. "I'm _what_?"

"Pregnant, dearie. As Alanna explained it to me, it's a miracle that it didn't happen sooner." Mistress Cooper got up and began to pack her herbs away in the small leather bag she carried with her.

Alanna stroked her hair and smiled empathetically. "It's a bit much, isn't it? I remember when I found out I was pregnent with my first son, Thom. It took a while to sink in. But you, you're not married and Numair isn't the type to settle down. You'll probably be the one to ask him to marry you, even with the baby. Numair's just like that."

Daine, who had been staring at her hands, loked up at the Champion. "But he _did _ask me. Last year in the Divine Realms."

Alanna was taken aback for a second, then leapt to her feet and shouted, "Then why aren't you married yet?!"

The younger woman explained their reasoning for postponing their wedding, but the Lioness was still fuming. "I don't care if you're fifty years apart. You're in love, damn it! Now you're pregnant and because you two are too pigheaded to do anything about it, your child will grow up like you did. A bastard!"

Daine struck her before she knew what she was doing. Alanna was known for her quick temper, but she had no right to say such things against Daine. Even though they were correct, her father, the god Wieryn, had always loved and protected her from the Divine Realms.

Alanna backed away from then bed, holdong her chin where Daine had hit her. "I guess I deserve that. I'm sorry, and i'll leave you to your thoughts now."

She left, followed shortly by Mistress Cooper who left herbs and a charm to help with the sickness. Queen Thayet, who had been standing watch at the door, peered in, nodded to her, then closed it again as she left.

Daine plopped back down on the bed and began to cry. What am I going to tell Numair? she thought bitterly.


	3. Responding

Secrets

Chapter Three: Responding

Daine sat in her room for hours thinking of how she could tell Numair her secret. 

"Numair, do you like kids? I hope so because i'm having one in about eight months."

"How are you, Numair? I'm fine. A little pregnant but fine."

"Numair, I'm pregnant."

She liked the latter one the best. Quick, straight-forward, and easy... right? How he would react was a complete mystery, but as she saw it, he had two options. He could either take her in his arms or kick a hole the wall. He loved her, that much had been established, yet he was afraid of marriage, so either option was pheasable.

Daine wasn't sure she could stand to hold all of this inside her for very long, so she got up, dried her eyes, and headed down to the dining hall, where dinner was already underway. The noise level in the room didn't falter as she entered, so she thought it safe to assume that not everyone knew yet. She took her usual seat beside Onua, as the horsemistress smiled at her and raised her arm to get the attention of a page who was serving that night. Daine grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"I'm not hungry," she whispered.

Her K'miri friend grinned. "Well you should be, eating for two and all."

Daine opened her mouth to say something, but closed it quickly before something rude came out. She should have known that someone would have said something in the few hours she waited in her room.

Onua interrupted her thoughts abruptly. "Don't worry, only a select few know anything about... you know."

Daine was shocked for a moment, surprised that the K'miri knew exactly what she was thinking. "What 'select few'?"

"Alanna, the king and queen, Mistress Cooper and me. The queen told the king, but he won't tell anyone. By the way, he'll be calling you later this evening to write a letter to Numair, who has already written to ask about you." She winked at the girl and returned to eating the roast lamb on her plate.

Daine felt her stomach retch, but she quickly calmed herself befroe lowering the hand that had shot up to her mouth. She touched the charm at her neck and it began to glow softly. The knot in her gut slowly began to recede and she again felt like herself.

She stared about the room, watching the pages and squires at their tables. She sighed and picked the one who laughed the loudest. I hop my child can have that, she thought miserably.

***

That night, the king summoned her by way of a somewhat frightened looking page. He arrived at her door out of breath and red in the face, clad in simple work breeches, a white shirt and tunic with the Royal Crest embroidred delicately onto the chest. She offered him a glass of water, which he took gratefully.

"The king requests your presence in the library as soon as possible, Lady Daine," he said between gulps.

She nodded, wincing as he called her 'Lady Daine', and took the empty glass. He bowed formally and took off around a corner, most likely late to one of his evening classes. Daine watched him go then began to walk in the other direction, down the stiars to the library. The king was waiting for her in a high back cushioned chair, with an array of candles on a table at his side. A stack of parchment lay next to the candles, a pen on top of them. The candles' light danced playfully across King Jonathan's face. With his close cropped black hair, beard, and intense sapphire blue eyes, the king was a match for any man.

Jonathan looked up from the book he held in his hand just in time to see her enter. He smiled and gestured towards the chair across from him. She sat down and watched him as he set the book aside and took up his pen and parchment.

"You shouldn't be afraid of me, Daine," he said with a laughing grin. "We're old friends, you and I. The matter we are here to discuss changes nothing."

Diane relaxed visably, knowing the king was not angry with her. She slid back into the chair, her entire body suddenly feeling like jelly.

"So, is there something you'd like me to tell Numair? I'm sure he'd like to know. I certainly would." Jonathan's voice was light, not at all harsh, and even had a trace of concern.

Daine shook her head. "Not in a letter. I could never say something like this in a letter."

The man looked her over inquisitively before nodding and scribbling on the paper. "So, you'd like me to tell him you're fine, that you just had a flu or something? Perhaps food poisoning?"

"Yes," Daine replied. "But tell him that I miss him and that he should come home soon because I need to speak with him."

Again, he nodded. "As you wish, Daine. You can go now."

She curtsied elegantly in the lavender dress her mother had given her. She took her leave through a door that led to the courtyard. The moon hung high in a sea of stars that swam in a pitch black sky. For a while, she just stared, marveling in the beauty of it all. She gave herself bat's ears and cat's eyes to find her way in the dark through a maze of gardens. The midnight hour struck and passed, yet Daine never wanted to leave this place of subtle tranquility. She wandered in the dark until the first rays of sun appeared at dawn. In the distance, a cock crowed the waking hour, and the bellow of Sarge, the Rider's Master, could be heard by even the nearly deaf human ear.

Daine sighed softly and took to her room. When the breakfast bell sounded, she made no move to get up. Lying about seemed a much better alternative. Kitten chirped and trilled in a high pitched combination that made Daine's ears ring. The dragon scolded her profusely, until she could stand it no more and got up. Kit followed her out to the pastures, where Cloud was grazing noisily.

I was wondering when you'd remember you had a horse, she said indignantly.

Daine laughed for the first time in days. "Its benn hard, Cloud, and i'm sorry haven't been about. They told me what was wrong with me, and at first I didn't believe it, but-"

You're having a colt, the horse whinnied. 

Again Daine luaghed. "A baby, Cloud. You must remember that I am _not _a horse. But, I guess you're right. I'm not really used to the idea of being a Ma yet, but it does grow on you after a while.

"Hey, speaking of Ma, the spring equinox is coming up soon. I'll be able to visit her and Da-" She stopped and flinched, remembering Alanna's strong words towards her the day before. "A I can tell them the news."

Kitten whistled a good-bye to Cloud as they walked back to the palace. A royal messenger stood waiting in silence at her door, a letter in hand. He gave it to her with a bow and walked away. She went into the room and sat on her bed as she broke the seal and read:

__

Sweet-

I was not surprised to hear back from you so soon. I'm overjoyed that you recovered so quickly form the illness, and I am eager to hear the news you wish to tell me. By the tme you get this, I should be on my way home. The task here in the desert was a misunderstanding on our part that almost caused a war between two Bazhir tribes! When I return though, we will have to discuss your health, since the sickness could come back, and we never found out what it was. Jonathan said it was a flu, but I don't think so. We'll speak with Mistress Cooper soon. Until then, I will remain forever yours,

Numair

Daine folded the letter and slid it into the pocket of her dress. She wiped the single tear that fell softly down her chekk. She stood and turned, but a dark figure loomed tall infront of her. She followed the darkness up until the light caught his face.

"Numair!" She threw her arms around his neck and forced her lips upon his own. He held her close and returned the passion. She pulled away first, breathing heavily, then kissed him again with the same fire as before. 

When they had thouroughly greeted each other, he cupped her chin in his large hands. "Oh, magelet. It's been but one day and I missed you so much that I could have died." He kissed her gently and took her hand. "Come. Walk with me."


	4. Revelations

Secrets

Chapter Four: Revelations

Numair led her into the Royal Forest, to the place where he took her for her first lesson in wild magic. The clearing was exactly the same as it had been five years earlier. The pool where they had seen the undine was still there, rippling in a soft wind. 

They sat on the springy grass, facing each other. Daine's palms began to sweat, and the only thing she wanted to do was run away, to take hawk shape and fly. She knew she had to tell Numair, but could she risk losing him?

"So what did you want to tell me, Magelet?" Numair asked, interrupting her train of thought. He looked into her eyes, searching them. He saw that she had a secret, one she was afraid to tell him. Just a glance a glance into her eyes and he saw all the emotions she felt. Confusion, hope, fear, and joy, all jumbled up in her mind, waiting to spring from her mouth.

"Numair, I'm pregnant!" There. She had said it. Now what?

Her lover was silent. Daine couldn't read the look on his face, which was a mass of pure emotion. His mouth was open in an "O" of shock, his eyes said confusion and happiness, yet his eyebrows were arched in disbelief. 

Daine became impatient with his silence. "Aren't you going to say something? Anything?"

He looked at her and managed to stutter, "I-Is it…mine?"

She could not he had just said such a thing to her. "Numair! How could you even _think_ I would…never mind, but how?"

Numair stood and paced around the clearing, his arms flailing in a wild pattern. "I've seen how the boys at court look at you! You're beautiful, Daine! And it's not just boys, but grown men even older than I, who look at you wistfully. And with me always gone, I figured one day you would get lonely…So, is it mine?"

Daine inhaled sharply. She had never seen the bays looking. Maybe Numair thought they did, just to find a reason to shelter her from them, to protect from wandering. 

"Daine?"

She was snapped to attention.

"Is it mine?"

She sighed. "Of course, it is."

He swept her into his arms and held her close to him. She could hear him crying in her ear, why she didn't know. "I love you, Veralidaine Sarrasri," he whispered. "I have loved you for five long years. Please, marry me."

She too began to cry, but not for the same reasons. "Numair, I don't know. I don't want you to think you have to marry me just because of this. It's still a trap in the end. I love you and I always will, but maybe you should help me raise our child in a less formal way."

Numair let her go quickly, and said, "What will it to convince you, Daine? A child isn't enough, so what will it be? Perhaps you would like me to kill all your suitors or cut off my hand, because I'd do it. To prove to you that my love is true and undying, I would sacrifice my hand."

He pulled a long knife out of a sheath at his waist and held it to his wrist. He applied a small amount of pressure and began to bleed.

Acting quickly, Daine ripped the knife from him and used it to cut a piece of her dress to use as a tourniquet. After tying a tight knot, she lunged at him and knocked back onto the ground. She planted her self firmly on top of his chest. "Don't you _ever _do that to me again! Mithros, Minos, and Shikath, are you crazy?!"

He smiled lazily. "Crazy for you. Crazy enough to ask you again. Will you marry me?"

She was still sitting on his chest, and quickly jumped off as he wheezed the last words. He had proven his love, and there was no reason _not _to get married, no reason _not _to have the baby together, and no reason _not _to have more after it. She loved him and his love for her was true. That was all that mattered.

"Yes, Numair."


	5. Restrictions

Secrets

Chapter Five: Restrictions

Daine and Numair walked back to the palace separately, he to the king's chambers and her to their own. Alanna, Thayet, and Onua were waiting when she entered. Alanna's face was swollen where she had hit her the day before. A large purple welt matched perfectly with her amethyst eyes. Daine blushed hotly and turned away from her to close the door. 

"So? Did you tell him?" Thayet was sitting on a chair by the desk, her arms crossed over her chest in subtle amusement.

Daine sat down on the bed, while Alanna took a seat next to Thayet. Onua paced the end of the room by the door. The Lioness avoided her gaze in a stand-offish kind of determination. Daine shook away the feeling of guilt and said, "Yes, I told him."

Onua stopped pacing. "And?"

"And, maybe you should talk to him about his answer. I'd rather not talk about it." Daine held back a grin and forced herself to look completely dejected. Her charade might hold up for a little while, and she would like to see their faces when Numair told them something entirely different from what he told her. 

Thayet stood up and came to sit by her side. "It's all right, we'll all be here for you. Always. No matter what Numair thinks. Gods, he can be so stubborn sometimes. Don't worry, we'll talk to him and straiten things out."

She looked furious, and that fury showed through seconds later when Numair walked in. Thayet stood and faced him, backed by Alanna and Onua. Thayet was the first to say anything after a moment or so of staring, "How could you just abandon her like this? She's always been there for you and now you just leave her in the dust when she needs you the most? You need to learn some responsibility, Numair."

He just stood in wide-eyed shock. He glanced at her and she gave him a quick wink, which he obviously didn't understand, "Ladies, you must be mistaken. When she told me the news, I asked her to marry me, and she accepted."

Daine rolled her eyes and watched as the women turned to look at her. "I told you to ask him, I never said he wasn't happy."

They obviously didn't find it so funny. Alanna flopped back into the chair and Onua continued pacing. Thayet calmed down a little and turned back to face Numair. "I'm sorry, Numair. I misunderstood Daine's words and got the wrong impression. Please forgive me."

Numair laughed. "Now I understand! Your majesty, the fault could never lie with you." He kissed her hand and turned to Daine. "Or with you, Magelet."

"So, when's the big day?" Alanna called from the corner.

"We haven't even discussed it yet," Daine replied as she stared up at Numair. "Sometime soon would be best, before I start to show." She touched stomach on impulse, and smiled at them. 

"Well, maybe you think about late spring, when there's less rain," Onua suggested, pointing outside. A light drizzle that had fallen on their way home had turned into a downpour. Daine nodded in thought, then leaned against Numair and yawned. 

Taking the hint, Alanna, Thayet, and Onua stood up and gave a quick congratulations to the couple before heading out the door. They stopped in the hall, standing in a tight circle. 

"Do you think it'll work? Them, together, I mean," Onua asked in a hushed whisper.

Alanna shrugged. "I don't see why not. She's pregnant, he's in love. It's a good match."

***

Daine woke up the next morning, her head pounding with the voices of the People. She got to her feet and dressed quickly. She kissed Numair lightly on the cheek and headed out the door. 

She followed the voices deep into the Royal Forest, her ears and eyes attuned to everything that went on around her. In the trees, a sparrow intertwined the twigs she had gathered to make her nest. In a burrow, not fifty yards away, a family of rabbits feasted on wild flowers and roots. Daine called a greeting and they came out to meet her, chattering noisily. One at a time, she said through her mind.

An older rabbit, with white fur spotting areas around his face and ears that had originally been brown, stepped forward. There's an animal, not like one we've ever seen before, somewhere in the forest, he said nervously. A fox saw it first, while it was on its way to catch the first pheasant of the morning. He said it was a small creature, with orange fur and a long tail that it used to grip the tree it was sitting in. The fox watched it move only a little, since it seemed to have a broken leg.

Daine nodded thanks, and headed into the forest. The pounding in her head lessened as she drew closer to her destination, following the blurry vision that she had in her mind. It had receded completely by the time she reached a tall tree, with pink blossoming flowers accenting the green of the leaves. It was entirely empty of animals except for a small rat-like creature huddled by the trunk on a branch about ten feet above ground. It looked kind of like a squirrel, only the tail was longer and not as…fluffy. It turned slowly, it's tiny face twisted in pure agony.

"Zek!" She immediately shape-shifted into a hawk and flew up the frightened marmoset. Daine took him gently in her talons and descended to the ground. Again, she shape-shifted and took his shivering form in her lap. She closed her eyes and saw his injuries in her mind. Not only was Zek's leg broken, but he seemed to have a concussion and several open wounds all over his body. 

Daine began with the leg, and worked her way out. The concussion she did little with since it would heal itself in time. She did, however, help with the splitting headache she knew he had. She then sealed up the cuts and let him fall asleep in her lap. 

Her eyes opened, but she snapped them shut again an instant later. Her arms were weak and her head throbbed incessantly, making concentration a very difficult task. Dizziness took over her thoughts and soon she just fell over onto the forest floor.

***

She awoke to a circle of familiar faces, Thayet, Alanna, and Onua. She blinked a few times to clear her vision then attempted to sit up. The three women shouted for her to lay still, and Onua ran off down a path. Numair appeared seconds later, followed by a company of the Queen's Riders. 

"Gods, Magelet!" Numair cried as he swept her up in his arms. "How could you do that to me? When you weren't in the room this morning, I assumed you had gone to the stables, but when you didn't come home at dusk, I knew something was wrong. Look at you! You're nearly dead, you're so drained. What did you do, heal the whole forest?"

She didn't fight as he lifted her off the ground and carried her to a waiting horse. She could barely move, let alone argue. And Numair wasn't in the mood to hear her ramblings. She had gotten into enough trouble for one day. They would talk about it in the morning.

***

Numair watched her sleep the next morning, going over in his head exactly what to say to her. Zek the marmoset had followed them home, poking at Daine while she slept on the horse's back. He had stayed by her side all night and was now growing impatient as Daine lay in bed well past noon. He paced the room, with Kitten following his amusing game. 

Numair pushed the pair out of his mind and concentrated on the matter at hand. She can't keep doing this, he thought. What will happen next time? We might not be able to find her, and then …. He stopped and stared at his love, her hair spread out on the pillow and her lips parted in a soft half smile. 

I can't tell her to stop. She would never listen. He pushed a strand of smokey hair out of her face and sat down on the bed next to her. She was breathing lightly and seemed to be perfectly healthy, except for the fact that she had been asleep for almost a half a day. 

As if on cue, Daine opened her eyes wearily and looked at him without lifting her head from its position on the pillow. "I messed up, didn't I? I should have told you where I was going."

He nodded in agreement. "Which brings me to what I have to say next. I thought about this a lot last night and I came to a decision about your healing." He took a deep breath and began to say what he thought was the hardest thing he ever had had to say. "Daine, you passed out last night because you healed Zek. Even though it was such a small amount of energy, you could have killed yourself or the baby. So, until the baby is born, I don't want you to heal anything. Not a single thing."


	6. The Man and the Marmoset

Secrets

Chapter Six: The Man and the Marmoset

Daine sat bolt upright in bed. "_Excuse _me? Did I hear you correctly? Are you telling me not to heal animals? Because if that's what you are saying, then I suggest you walk right out that door because I will _never_ stop healing, no matter how sick it makes me."

Numair's face hardened and his eyes grew cold with determination. "Not only am I telling you not to, I'm _forbidding _it. It's too dangerous for you and the baby and I won't stand for it." He watched her as she stood slowly, trying to hold back tears in her eyes. It tore at his heart to see her like this, but he knew what had to be done. "I'm sorry, Daine, but I can't let endanger yourself or our child by healing those animals. I'm sure someone else can take care of them for the next few months." 

With that, he kissed her cheek and strode out the door without looking back. 

Daine could no longer hold in all of her pain. She wept, her tears soaking the pillow as she fell back onto the bed. Zek, who had stopped pacing when the argument had begun, walked over and hopped onto the sheets next to her. Kitten followed and placed her forepaws on Daine's hand. Her scales were a deep purple, expressing the concern and anger she felt.

-What did he say that could make you cry so much?- Zek asked, head cocked to one side.

Daine wiped her eyes, yet the tears kept coming. He told me that I couldn't help heal the People for a while, she replied through her mind between sobs. 

-Why would he tell you that? You love the People, and we need you. Look at what you did for me.-

"He said that because I'm pregnant," she told the marmoset aloud. When he looked at her oddly, she explained to him what that meant. He seemed happy for her, but there was a hint of guilt in his mind voice that made her curious. "is there something you aren't telling me Zek?" she asked "Like why you aren't traveling through the mountains with Lindhall looking for new plants?"

Zek looked genuinely guilty then, his lower lip quivering slightly.

"Come on, Zek," she prodded. "Spill it. What happened."

-I didn't want to tell you this and spoil your happy news, but I guess I have to. Master Lindhall is dead. He was killed by spidrens about four days ago.-

Daine sat in silence. Lindhall Reed? Dead? How could that be? She and Numair had just gotten a letter from him - no, that was a few weeks back. Anything could have happened since then. Including this. "But didn't they lock all the Immortals back in the Immortal Realms at the end of the war, though? At least they locked all the evil ones in." She thought back to the Immortals War and remembered. "They let some stay, didn't they?"

The marmoset nodded angrily. -Who would let a creature like _that_ stay in the mortal realms when there are creatures like _him_ who will let them kill People and two-leggers?-

Daine halted in mid-thought. "Who'd 'him', Zek? Who let the spidren kill Lindhall?"

-The man from Carthak. From home.- he seethed.

Kaddar, she thought instantly.

-No, no, no, not the emperor. A magic man. Not very powerful magic, but still enough to control that spidren. He told them that bad was better, and they believed. Master Lindhall never saw them coming. They ate him right after they...- he gulped. Daine could sense how upset he was, and frankly, she could relate. Lindhall had been a good friend to she and Numair and he was suddenly gone forever. But what about this other man? She thought back to Carthak and all the people she had met, but none of them were mages, except for the occasional Banjiku wild mage. Gods, I wish I could remember, she thought. Then maybe I could help.

-But I thought he told you not to do anything while you've got that little two-legger growing inside you.- Zek pointed out.

Daine sighed. "Well, I'd like to see him try and stop me."

***

As she walked through the nearly empty halls of the palace, Daine began to wonder what someone could have against Lindhall. As she knew him, he was a caring friendly, and humble person. Who would actually dislike him enough to _kill_ him?

Daine found herself outside the king's chambers, the door cracked ever so slightly. She heard voices from inside, familiar ones, that all seemed to be focusing around one topic of conversation: her.

"Numair, I know you're worried about her, but the more you tell her not to do something, the more she'll want to continue doing it!" She heard Thayet's voice above the din, and it sounded full of what seemed like anger and sympathy.

"Don't you think I know that?!" Numair retorted. "I just can't risk something happening to her or my child. If something _did _happen, I don't know what I'd do..."

Daine was fuming. His child? _His _child? Well, she'd teach him something. Pushing open the door with such force that it slammed against the wall, she burst into the room. "What if I told you it wasn't yours? What would you do then, huh?"

Alanna, Thayet, Jonathan, Onua, Duke Gareth the Younger, and Numair were spread all over the room. The group around her was silent as they watched her unleash an unspeakable wrath upon Numair. 

"Wh-what did you say?" Numair's eyes were wide as turkey platters.

"I said, 'what if I told you it wasn't yours?' What if I told you it was Nealan of Queenscove's? Or Perin's, for that matter! What if I told you it was mine? _Mine, _Numair. At first even you were doubtful that it was yours and then you just claim it all as your own, not ours. You want it, you carry it for nine months!"

Suddenly, a terrible pain swept over her body and her knees buckled. Out of the corners of her eyes, Daine saw everyone leap up at once. Numair dove to catch her, but it was too late. She hit the floor with a sickening thud and everything was dark.

***

Daine lifted her eyelids groggily, and turned her neck gingerly to look around her. She was lying in her own bed, with Numair at her side. His face was buried in his hands, but she could still see the tears streaming down his cheeks. She silently reached out and stroked his hair. "I'm sorry, Numair. I didn't mean to upset you so. I just thought that you should know that this baby isn't only yours."

He looked at her, his cheeks puffy and his eyes red. "Don't apologize," he said as he gripped her hand in his. "Besides, there's nothing to apologize about."

Daine saw another tear creep eerily down his jawline and fall onto the sheets. "What do you mean by that?"

He began sobbing again. "You lost the baby, Daine! You miscarried and it's all my fault!"


	7. Meditation

Secrets

Chapter Seven: Meditation

No matter how much Numair tried to convince her, Daine could not imagine that the life inside of her was dead. "No, it can't be…"

"It's over, Daine. I'm sorry, but it's over. We had healers from all over the palace in here to try something. _Anything!_ Nothing worked. Even Alanna and Jonathan came to try using their Gifts. Their efforts were in vain. It's dead. Our child is dead." Numair gripped her in his arms, the force he used threatening to choke the life out of her.

Slowly, Daine let the realization slip into her mind. She returned Numair's affection and let the tears fall mercilessly down her face. "What's going to happen to us, Numair? How are we going to get through this?"

He let her go and took her chin in his hand. Looking striaght into her eyes, he said, "We _will _get through this. We'll get through it, we'll get married, and we'll try again. Nothing can keep us from doing that."

She heard the sincerity in his voice and felt a twinge of guilt that reminded her of Lindhall. "I guess this isn't the best time to tell you that Lindhall is dead too, is it?"

His face went pale. "What?!"

She nodded. "Zek told me. Spidrens attacked him about five days ago. I'm sorry, so sorry." Her lover was quiet, sitting motionless on the chair across from her. He seemed to be thinking hard, his brows furrowed in concentration. He stood abruptly. So abruptly that he knocked the chair backward. He turned and kicked it fiercely and it broke against a nearby wall. Storming over to the desk, he rifled through the mountainous pile of scrolls which lay on it. Choosing some, he turned and went into his workroom, locking the door behind him.

Daine let herself drift in and out of consciousness, hoping to forget everything that had happened. Unfortunately, her dreams haunted her with pictures of small children, children who had smokey brown hair and intelligent brown eyes. These dreams snapped her awake, drenched with sweat and her eyes brimming with tears. _I can't do this, _she thought. _I can't just sit here anymore. _

Daine got out of bed and changed her clothes, choosing a pair of worn work breeches and a patched shirt. She pulled her boots on and walked out of the palace without anyone noticing. She made her way to the clearing again and sat down by the pool. She let all of her thoughts empty from her head and she began meditating. She heard all the sounds of the forest for miles and miles, yet she didn't _really_ hear them. They drifted lazily around her ears, but she didn't dwell on them long enough to hear them properly. She listened to her own heart beat as it thumped rhythmically.

Buh-bump. Buh-bump.

She heard it, felt it, yet she could not believe it was still beating. _How can I live when my baby won't?_ she thought. Pushing that thought aside, she continued to listen. 

Buh-buh-bump-bump. Buh-buh-bump-bump.

Daine forced her eyes open, as she put her hand to her heart. It had the same rhythm as before, yet she knew she had heard something odd. She again left her thoughts behind and drifted into a meditative state. The beating continued as her muscles relaxed.

Buh-bump. Buh-bump.

Buh-buh-bump-bump. Buh-buh-bump-bump.

"What in the Goddess's name is going on?!" she shouted. "Why can't I just have five minutes of peace, to _not_ think about any of this?! Mithros, Minos, and Shikath!" Daine put her fingers to her temples and rubbed away a growing headache. Her meditation took over again as she lowered her hands. Forcing out every sound except the beating of her heart, she reached inside herself.

A warm glow filled the blackness behind her eyelids, and she saw in her mind a pulsating orb. Her heart pounded faster as she saw a second smaller one, beating in time with the its larger counterpart. She kept herself from gasping and concentrated on the orbs. The larger one sped up its rhythm, but the small orb stayed at a steady pace. She counted with the beating of the first orb and set it in her mind.

Daine opened her eyes and measured the rhythm of the orb against her heart. It matched exactly. "Great Goddess… I'm still pregnant."

***

Daine felt like she was floating on a cloud as she made her way back to the palace. It was dark, so no one noticed as she walked through the halls. When she reached her room, she let the door open slowly before entering with purpose. She strode to Numair's workroom and knocked lightly. "Numair?"

When no answer came, she knocked again. "Numair, I really need to talk to you. Come on, open the door." Still no answer. "Numair?"

She went over to the overstuffed chair by the bed where Kitten slept soundly. Daine shook her awake, telling her, "Kit, wake up! Pop the lock on the workroom for me."

The dragon grumbled loudly as she jumped off the chair and walked up to the door. She trilled once and the lock smoked, but didn't open. Kitten huffed and whistled a note that changed drastically in pitch a moment later. A loud 'click' echoed throughout the room and the door popped open.

Daine entered quietly, hoping that Numair was only sleeping, rather tham ignoring her or worse. Looking about the room, she saw the large space was more cluttered than that in which they lived. Boxes were piled up in corners, scrolls, papers, documents, and quills covered the tall table in the center, and shelves full of books covered three of the four walls. Daine saw nothing in the room of interest, since the only thing that interested her just then was Numair. She left as quietly as she had come, and shut the door behind her. She then stopped to get a better look at the actual living space. She noticed small changes from when she had last seen it. The dresser drawer hung open, with clothes flung aside as if they had been rejected in a rush to get somewhere quickly. The closet was partially empty, leaving a large gap where Numair's travel clothes used to be. She frowned when she saw a piece of ragged parchment affixed to the closet door with magic. _Another note, _she thought.

__

Daine- (what, no 'Sweet'?)

_I'm off to find Lindhall. Now, you keep your mouth shut, I know he's dead._

Daine closed her mouth which had opened in protest after the first sentence.

_I have a feeling this man who controlled the spidren is more than he appears. I want you to stay home, in the palace, until I come back. No whining! I can't do my job here if I don't know where you are or if you're safe. I promise, we'll talk more about everything when I see you. For now, just rest and keep the healing to a bare minimum. BARE MINIMUM! That doesn't mean you can heal the first cat who walks in with a scratch. And rest means sleep, not wandering the palace at all hours of the night. See you soon._

Numair

She bit her lip an angst. Numair always had a way of knowing exactly what to say when she didn't want to hear it. She folded the letter, slid it into her pocket, and reached into the closet for her own traveling clothes. She pulled a leather satchel from the floor and filled it with spare garments. Kitten chirped a question. Daine understood quite clearly and shook her head. "Sorry, Kit. You can't come this time."

Kitten grumbled for the second time that day and waddled defiantly back to the chair, where she immediately curled up and went back to sleep. 

Daine grabbed her coat and wrapped it firmly around her arms. She flung the bag over her shoulder and sneaked out the door.

She found her way to the stables, using owl's eyes, only to see Cloud aleep on her hooves, a blanket draped over her back. Daine tapped her lightly on the shoulder, and the horse woke up.

Do you have any idea what time it is? She asked resentfully. I was having a really great dream about that gelding a few stalls down…

Cloud tried to close her eyes again, but Daine shook her awake. "Come on, Cloud! I don't have time for this." She nearly threw the saddle she had taken out onto Cloud's back. "You have to take me Numiar." Suddenly she remembered she had no idea where Numair was. Zek appeared at her side seconds later. 

- You're not going anywhere without me, - he said. Kitten whistled in 

agreement.

Daine sighed and attached Kitten's special saddlebag. She finished cinching the saddle and placed the dragon in it. Zek climbed onto her shoulder and hid under her hair as she led the group out to the pastures. She mounted Cloud and soon she was on her way to find Numair.


	8. The Equinox

Author's note: Sorry it took so long, but here is the long anticipated eighth chapter. It'll get better in the next couple of chapters, more action sort of stuff in the Divine and mortal realms. Chapter nine is already in progress, so hopefully I'll have it up soon!

  
  


Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters or places, just the plot, and even then I have to give some credit to Sirena and Moxie for helping me out there. Thanks guys!

  
  


Secrets

Chapter Eight: The Equinox

  
  


_*Meanwhile...*_

__The man that both Daine and Numair were searching for sat in the shadows of a granite cave, surrounded by the sounds of sleeping bats and crawling insects. He smelled strongly of apple, and his skin had a brownish-green tallow. His blonde hair was streaked with green, giving the impression that he hadn't bathed in weeks. The odd thing about this was that he had bathed; everyday, in fact.

"Why can't I rid myself of this infernal smell?!" he muttered angrily to himself. "The scent alone could give me away at thirty yards. Damn you, Arram! Damn you!" He scrubbed at his arm with a piece of torn shirt, scratching with his nails until his flesh was raw and bleeding(A/N: this is a line from a Weird Al Yankovic song, just to give credit where credit is deserved). Sighing, he set aside the scrap of cloth and turned to the full-length mirror he had leaned against a large boulder. He admired himself for a while, then changed the reflection to picture Daine instead.

"Such a pretty thing," he murmured almost guiltily. "It's really too bad she got involved with _him_. Now she'll have to suffer along side her man." He waved a hand across the smooth surface of the glass and the image changed again. Numair's face was soaked in sweat as he bent over a glowing object. His mouth moved with unheard words, and his eyes were set in a blank, formidable stare. 

The Lone man chuckled. "Arram, Arram. Stop wearing yourself out. You'll need all your strength for what's next to come." He walked over to a ledge in the rocked and pulled a small musical pipe out from in between the many bottles and jars that were stored there. Placing it in one of his pockets, he selected a bottle, filled a deep, rich wine. Pouring himself a glass, he raised it in a toast. "To...me! May my revenge on Arram be a thousand times more painful than his on me. Also, to Chaos. Truly the greatest of all the gods. Thank for freeing me of my wooden prison." He tilted the glass back and swallowed its contents quickly. Setting the empty cup down, he pulled out the pipe and began to play.

  
  


***

  
  


Daine felt Cloud's rhythmic running underneath her, the pounding of her hooves on the dirt ringing in her ears. How she longed to join her in her mind, to feel the wind rushing through her mane and the solid thump of the earth under her... 

Zek's voice in ear shook her awake. The small marmoset whispered directions, so she gracefully guided Cloud through the rugged trails and wooded knolls. The silence of the forest scared her, chilling her deep inside. She heard nothing, not a bird, or a squirrel, not even the field mice, who were usually out and about at this time of year, spring

Spring? Was it really that time? _The equinox..._ what day was it? Daine let Cloud be the guide and drifted deep into thought. _When's the equinox? I haven't seen Ma in ages. I wonder if she already knows... She could, she'd the Green Lady, after all. I just hope she'll be there when my time comes..._

__Daine didn't notice the shadows following her, creeping along on their thin, sharply jointed limbs. She didn't see them licking their lips, grinding their silver teeth. They kept hidden in the trees, high above the ground, watching her hungrily, advancing slowly.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. _Immortals. _She pressed her heels into Cloud's sides and whispered, "Faster."

The horse, sensing the fear in her voice, went into a dead sprint. Daine felt the hairs go down and soon she regained her composure. 

The spidrens saw her speed up, but this was to be expected. The Master had told the girl knew when they were about. The Master knew everything. He was Chaos' faithful servant, her right hand. 

So they followed...

  
  


***

  
  


Daine kept alert, sweeping the trail with her eyes. She knew they were there somewhere, just not close enough to see. She stared at the ground, hoping to lose herself in thought. But, before she could lose herself in anything, she violently pulled back on Cloud's reins, bringing her to an abrupt stop. She leapt off the horse and began running her fingers over the dirt.

What in Chaos' Realm do you think you are doing?! Cloud shouted as she bucked her hind hooves against a tree. Mithros, Daine! That was my mouth!

Daine looked up from the sand she sifted through her fingers. "Hmm? Oh, sorry, Cloud. It's just-" She stopped and traced a hoof-print in the ground. It was too big to be from Cloud, but just right for Spots and ...

"Numair."

Yes...Numair. Well, I'm sure he's around here somewhere, Cloud said disdainfully. She stamped impatiently and went about munching on some grass a few feet away.

-_He's around here, isn't he?- _Zek whispered from her shoulder. 

Daine nodded. "He's definitely close." She closed her eyes and reached out with her mind, asking the first creature she came across, a large tawny owl.

_Yes? _The bird ruffled his feathers sleepily. 

She spoke politely, fearing that this owl might be her last hope in finding Numair, since just the small task of holding his mind made her feel ill.

_He was here, _the owl replied, yawning. _Rather noisy chap. Disturbed my mate and our hatchlings from a nap. Took off towards the mountains not two hours ago. _

__Daine thanked him profusely, while pulled Cloud away from a patch of green that she was nibbling

Hey! She cried as she craned her neck to grab one last bite. I just found the good stuff!

She ignored her horse and mounted, using the reins to direct her head towards the peaks that towered above them. "That way."

  
  


***

  
  
  
  


It took several hours of hard riding for Daine and her party to catch up to Numair. He sat alone in a thicket, Spots no where to be seen, His hair was a mess and his black robes covered in brambles. She saw his mouth moving, but couldn't hear what he was saying. Silently, she crept forward and let his voice echo in her ears.

"Mithros, I've messed up. How could this happen? First, I knock up my girlfriend, then my best friend is _eaten_, then I _un_-knock up my girlfriend, and now I'm lost. This is peachy, just peachy. A week from hell, that's what I've had. The seventh circle of hell... no, wait. It's Carthak! This week is worse than being in Carthak! Gods Bless, the way things are going, I'll probably be dead before the day is out."

Figuring this was a good time to reveal herself, Daine stepped forward and said, "Well, I should hope not." She was immediately thrown back when Numair, who was surprised by her sudden entrance, cast a ball of black fire at her. She landed in the bushes, which thankfully cushioned her fall. Her shirt and breeches were charred, and the ends of her smoky brown hair were smouldering slightly, but other than that she was fine.

Realizing his mistake, Numair rushed to help her to her feet. "Gods, Daine! I could've killed you! What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that? And why are you here, anyway? I told you to stay back at the palace!"

She brushed herself off and looked at him sternly. "Well, don't you start to think I'm going to bow to your every whim. I'm not one of the court ladies, Numair. And, it's a good thing I didn't stay in the stuffy old palace. Look at you! You'd be out here forever, without Zek to help you out, and since you can't understand Zek, you most certainly need me."

He shook his head. "I should have known you'd be out the door before you even finished reading the letter. And I am a bit lost, aren't I? Well, I guess you've come to remedy that." He leaned over and kissed her lips lightly, teasingly. "Maybe we should try again, when we get married. I can't wait to try again."

Daine took his hand in hers. "Maybe you'll get that sooner than you think."

Numair raised his eyebrows in question. "Why, Miss Sarrasri, are you suggesting that you want to ... er ... _canoodle?_" He was smiling at her mischeiviously.

"Numair, are you out of your _gourd?_!" she cried, releasing his hand. "Whatever happened to staying as it was? I guess we lost that when I found out I was pregnant. I still am, you know. I'm still carrying you child. That's what I meant, not _canoodling."_

__Numair was quiet. "How?" he whispered after a while. "How? We tried everything. There was no pulse, no movement, nothing! Every person with even a trace of a Gift tried to help. _Everyone!_ But - but... I don't know anymore, Daine. I just don't know."

Daine held him close and let him cry on her shoulder. "I don't know, either. I asked myself the same thing." She felt odd, holding him as he sobbed. She knew how he must feel, each time she cried in his arms. It was a strange, different feeling, yet she never wanted to let him go.

Look, I hate to break up the happy moment, but we really must be going. We have a job to do, remember? Cloud called out to them from the edge of the thicket, Spots suddenly beside her. 

The girl nodded and patted Numair's back. "Lets go. We'll talk more on the road." He gave her a quick squeeze and mounted Spots clumsily. Daine did the same, but faltered in mid-jump as she felt her hackle go up. "Not again..."

She stumbled slightly as she landed back on the ground, Turning, she saw at least half a dozen hurroks hurtling at them. Daine only remembered a large black ball before she was sucked into oblivion. 


	9. Loving Words and Angry Actions

Secrets 

Chapter Nine: Loving Words and Angry Actions

Daine woke with a start, causing the shadow that hovered above her to jump back. She sat up in a bed that was not her own and immediately felt her head spin and her stomach lurch violently. Not even the charm could help, so she dashed towards the privy in the far corner of the familiar room. After relieving herself, she stood cautiously and looked around her. There was a bed, a small chair and table in the corner opposite the privy and a bureau next to the bed along the wall, but other than that it was bare. The wall and floor were made of a light colored wood, most likely oak or pine. A woman with a mound of golden curls and sparkling blue eyes watched her from the doorway. "What was that all about, Sweet?" 

Daine smiled and walked over to the woman. "Hullo, Ma. It's nice to see you again." She hugged Sarra Beneksri fiercely around the waist as the taller woman rested her chin on the top of Daine's head. 

"Your father will be so happy to see you. You were so thin on your last visit that we thought you were ill. Now look at you! Filled out quite nicely."

Sarra's daughter blushed furiously and lowered her head to hide the red in her cheeks. She murmured something inaudible into the folds of Sarra's dress. The older woman took her chin in her hands and looked deeply into her eyes. "Something wrong, Sweet?"

Daine shook her head, wanting to tell both her parents at the same time, then began to nod slowly in realization. "Where's Numair? And Cloud? What about Kitten and Spots and Zek? Did they make it across the Realms all right?"

Her mother's face suddenly became dark and shadowed. "Numair is fine, Daine. He's with Kitten in the next room."

Daine turned and tried to leave, seeing the door in the corner. Sarra grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back towards the bed. "Sit down, Daine," she said, half sternly.

She sat, following the glances her mother shot out the window. "Something's not right, Ma. What's going on? Please, just tell me."

Sarra sighed heavily, and took a seat beside her daughter. "When pulled you and Numair out of the mortal realms, we tried to bring Cloud, Spots, and Zek with you. Unfortunately, crossing the barrier between the two realms is extremely hard on mortal animals. It would have ripped them in half if we had succeeded in bringing them here. I'm sorry, Daine, but we had to leave them to fend for themselves."

Daine stood abruptly. "How could you do that? How could you leave them alone to fight off six hurroks? Cloud was the only family I had after you died, Ma! I can't believe you just left her-"

"Hush, Sweet, it's all right," Sarra pulled the weeping figure into her arms, gently rubbing her back. Daine fought for a moment to free herself, but soon resigned to crying in her mother's shoulder. 

"We didn't leave them alone," Sarra whispered. "We would never leave them alone. Your father sent the Badger to deal with the hurroks, and he got to them before they were… well, never you mind. The important thing is that you're safe. I'm sure they are, too."

Daine was unconvinced. "I have to go back, Ma. They might be hurt or lost or… I just have to go back. Now."

She pulled away from her mother and walked out the door, turning the corner to enter another. 

Numair sat idly on the bed, one leg bouncing up and down impatiently. When he saw her, he stood and came over to where she had stopped near the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head. She rested heavily against his chest, causing him to have to steady his feet again. 

"Did they tell you? About the animals, I mean?" Daine kept her ear to his chest, so the words were somewhat muffled. She felt him nod and went on. "We have to go back. We have to help them. I know we just got here and all, but I couldn't live with myself if I knew I could've done something. Will you come with me? Please?"

Numair squeezed her tighter and said, "Of course, Magelet. You think I'd let you go off by yourself in your condition?"

"What condition?" a voice bellowed at them from the door. Daine turned and saw a broad figure, wearing only a loincloth, standing just a few feet away from them. His tan skin was streaked with green and the antlers protruding from his head made him seem more than just ominous. He was frightening.

"Da!" Daine squeaked, suddenly quite nervous. "I didn't hear you come in." She walked over to the god Weiryn and hugged him fiercely. He returned her affections and ruffled her hair playfully. "Welcome back, Daine. We've missed you around here. Although it's been anything but quiet, since Chaos started that rebellion, you should have come to visit on the winter solstice."

Numair was watching them intently. "What rebellion?"

"You're not in a position to ask questions, *_mage*_," Weiryn scoffed disdainfully. He still wasn't used to the idea of his daughter with a man fourteen years her senior. "What condition? Are you ill? Perhaps your mother can help. LOVE?!"

Daine plugged her ears as he bellowed again for her mother. When Sarra walked into the room, she lowered her hands and took a deep breath. "Well, she can't really help now, but maybe in a few months. Ma, Da… I'm pregnant."

***

**_Swish! Thunk!_**

"Ack! Mithros! Help me!"

**_Swish! Thunk!_**

"Impregnate *_my* _daughter, will you?!"

**_Swish! Thunk!_**

"I'm sorry! Gods, I'm sorry!" Numair was running (probably faster than he had ever run in his life) through the thick trees of the Divine Forest, with Weiryn following closely behind. The god carried his bow, perfect in its form, in one hand. He brought another arrow to the string.

**_Swish! Thunk!_**

"Da, Stop! Please!" Daine rushed along behind her father, clutching her stomach protectively. 

"Go back to the house, Daine," he replied as he loosed another arrow. "We'll take care of you now. You don't need this cradle-robbing sneak."

The arrow struck its target, lodging itself in the back of Numair's calf. He fell, cursing wildly. Daine pushed passed her father and sat down next to Numair. She tried to calm him, rubbing his hand and stroking his forehead, while he swore violently and pounded his fist on the ground. She saw Weiryn draw his bow again and she threw herself on top of the writhing man.

"Get out of the way, Daine," the god said, his arm still back at his ear with the string in his fingers. 

"Never."

"Give me one reason not to kill him."

"I *_love* _him!"

At this, Weiryn faltered, but kept his bow aloft.

"And he loves me, Da. We plan to be married before the baby is born, I swear. He would never do anything to hurt me and he wants this just as much as I do. Just give him a chance!"

Her father lowered the bow and stuck the arrow in the quiver at his back. "I guess I might as well." He walked over and picked up the wailing Numair, as if he were nothing.

"Cradle-robbing sneak, am I? Well look who's talking, you horn-headed murderer! YEOW!"

Weiryn tousled him roughly, banging his bad leg against a tree. "*_So* _sorry about that," he said with mock sympathy.

Sarra met them outside, carrying a large basket of clean white bandages. "Weiryn, what did you do to this boy?! Mithros, look at him!"

Numair had fallen silent, his face a ghostly gray. "I'm fine, really," he whispered.

Weiryn took the fallen man inside and laid him on his bed. Sarra, using herbs and plants from her garden, bandaged his leg while Daine held his hand. When he had fallen asleep a little later, she took her parents outside to talk with them privately.

"I really need you to understand about this-" Daine began.

"Understand? *_Understand*?! _Veralidaine Sarrasri, you have a lot of nerve asking us to understand. You're not married and you're pregnant! By a man nearly twice your age, no less!" Sarra heaved the breath from her lungs in an incredibly exaggerated huff.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful, Ma," Daine replied quietly. "But you weren't married when you were pregnant with me, and since Da is a *_god*_, doesn't that make him about as old as time? You don't have a right to criticize me, since the father of my child is *_more* _than willing to stay with me." She glared contemptuously at her father, but her anger faded when the god lowered his head in shame. 

"Daine, you know I always wanted to be there, but I'm a god. I have responsibilities and – "

"I was supposed to be your responsibility!" Daine cried. "I thought that you two, of all people, would understand. I guess I was wrong." She turned and went back to the door. She stopped and spoke without looking at them. "As soon as Numair wakes up, we're leaving. Don't expect me back."

***

Numair woke with a faint throb in his leg, but nothing more. By the look of the sky, he could tell it was nearly midnight. Knowing he needed to act quickly, he attempted to roll over, but was blocked by a figure sleeping next to him. Daine lay, her hair cascading out across the pillow, her soft lips parted slightly as she breathed. He watched her, one finger gently tracing her features. _Gods is she beautiful, _he thought. _And she's mine. She's all mine._

Her eyelids fluttered open and she stared at him. "Hullo, love," she whispered with tears in her eyes. 

He wiped them away and hugged her close. She buried her head in the groove of his neck, but didn't cry. She just trembled and sighed, leaving him wondering.

"We ought to go now," Daine said, sitting upright and wiping away invisible tears. "It's getting late and if we don't go, we'll have to ask the dragons again."

At the word, 'dragons', Kitten popped her head up from the chair in the corner. She chirped excitedly and waddled over to the bed. Climbing up next to them, she looked longingly at Daine, who giggled quietly. 

"Maybe if we visit again, you can see your family, Kit. But we don't have time now. C'mon. Let's go." She helped Numair to his feet and let him lean on her as they walked across the room.

"What did you mean when you said, 'if we visit again'? Did something happen between you and your parents?" Numair's voice wasn't weak, just quiet.

Daine sighed. "I guess you could say that. We … argued about everything that's been going on, and they had the gal to tell me I'm wrong in having a baby when I'm not married."

"But your mother wasn't married when she had you," Numair put in, as Daine opened the door. 

"Exactly! They are such hypocrites, you know that?" She led him out into the hallway and down to her parents' room, with Kitten following behind. She knocked purposefully and Sarra came out, yawning. She saw her daughter's stern expression and called out to Weiryn. He came, completely naked. Daine turned her face away and said, "We have to go now."

The god nodded and went back into the room. He returned seconds later with a loincloth on, and took them out the garden where he murmured a few quiet words, and they were again pulled backwards into the mortal realms.


	10. False Identity

Secrets

Chapter Ten: False Identity

Daine and Numair had been walking for hours, with Kitten lagging wearily behind. Upon returning to their realm, they had searched for the missing animals, but to no avail. Presently, they had no idea where they were going, but the trek across the crags and peaks seemed to have a purposeful direction. They never strayed far from the southern course that Daine had set when they found themselves without their horses.

"We're lost. Let's just stop and rest for a while, okay?" Numair leaned against a tree. 

"Just a little further, all right? I think I hear something." Daine climbed cautiously up a large rock at the base of a hill. A tune from a pipe floated across a great chasm to her ears. There was a cave in a mountain across the great canyon, from which a soft light glowed welcomingly. 

"Numair, come here! I found something!" Numair came, scrambling up the rock, and sending a spray of pebbles down on Kitten's head. She clicked disapprovingly and followed him.

They met at the top, and Daine pointed down across the gorge to the cave. The music from the pipe was louder now, more intense. It called out to them, begging them to follow it, to seek it out and obey. It took all her strength for Daine to fight the call of the pipe.

Numair, on the other hand, shook the tune away easily and focused on its producer. The sound was familiar, but the song was one he had never heard before. Trying to place a finger on the instrument in question, he pulled a mirror out of the satchel at his waist. Using the tune as a focus, he began to see a long, slender flute, made of a heavy, shining rock that resembled metal. _Black Pearls, _he thought grimly. _That's why we're drawn to it. It's magic. _He only knew one person who had access to enough black pearls to make such a creation.

__

"Tristan."

Daine looked up from her concentration. "Tristan? Tristan who? _Tristan Staghorn?_ I thought you turned him into a tree. What does he have to do wi-"

"That's what he meant by rebellion!" Numair said, interrupting her. "Chaos still has some control over her realm, even from her prison. She changed Tristan back into his human form so he could lead the remaining immortals in a rebellion! Mithros, why didn't I see it before?!"

"But what does that have to do with Lindhall?" Daine whimpered, her energy totally drained. "He'd heard of Tristan in Carthak, I know that much, but he was into plants, not dark magic."

Numair sat in thought a moment, the expression on his face deteriorating from excitement into sadness. "He killed Lindhall to get to me. To have his revenge on me. . . And you." He reached out and lazily dragged three fingers down her stomach, which she shrank back from instinctively. 

__

Mithros, help me, she sucked in her breath quickly to keep herself from crying out. She turned back to the cave, biting her lip in anguish. Focusing on the task at hand, she pushed thoughts of murder out of her mind. Numair could handle that part.

The glow in the cave had gotten brighter, casting shadows out onto the ground. She blinked. Was it. . . no, it couldn't be. . . could it? It was. Spidrens. In the cave, surroundinga man who was playing what looked like a flute. She turned to seeif Numair had noticed as well. Sure enough, his eyes were trained on the dancing shadows across the canyon. He put the mirror away and took out a small crystal. It began to shine brightly as he held it out and mumbled a few unrecognizable words. 

"Numair," Daine hissed at him. "What are you doing?!"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I'm getting rid of him once and for all." He went on mumbling.

"Wait! We don't even know if that's him or not! Let's just check it out first, okay?" She pleaded with him, tugging on the sleeve of his outstretched arm.

Sighing, he tucked the crystal back into his satchel. "The voice of reason. Come on, let's go. And be quiet! We don't need-"

He was interrupted by an inhuman scream, piercing the afternoon sky. Daine's head snapped towards the cave, her eyes searching for an answer to the horrifying shriek. She found it seconds later, her mind ablaze in a fiery fury. 

A shadow stretched out across the rock, bucking backward, making its identity known to the girl.

Another shriek.

"Cloud," she whispered. The horse bucked again, and Daine could see the cause of her pain. Spidrens encompassed her in a tight circle., poking her repeatedly with their ling, jointed legs. 

Daine cried out in horror as she saw a second horse shadow, followed shortly by that of a marmoset. The tiny monkey's screeches and squeals could be heard from where she and Numair sat. Daine fell to her knees and began to sob uncontrollably. She felt her body shift from one animal form to another, over and over until she finally lay still, exhausted and in her original form.

The shrieks continued for some odd moments, then were silenced as a sorrowful ballad spilled from the pipe the man was playing. For the first time, they saw him as he skipped out of the cave and changed his song. The Spidrens followed as if her were the pied piper, dragging a pair of beleaguered horses and a squirming monkey behind them.

Daine looked away, searching for Numair as she did. She saw nothing, only the random shrub or bush rustling in a soft wind. 

He was gone.

***

Numair walked warily across the rope bridge that spanned the gorge not one hundred yards from where he had left Daine. He cursed himself for doing so, but he knew that she shouldn't be involved in the impending battle in her condition. She had more at stake than he did, so he would rather to die a slow, horrid, painful death than let her come to harm. Her or the child. He thought fondly of the word, "father". It had meant so little to him, since he hadn't seen his own father in years, long before he even left Carthak. The memory of his parents had been erased the day he arrived in Tortall, when he began a new life as Numair Salmalin. 

So now, as Numair hid in wait behind a large patch of berry bushes, the new meaning of "father" struck him breathless. He took out the mirror again and used the focus he had of Daine to find her in the glass. She was sitting where he had left her, looking around frantically. He saw her get up and call out, although he couldn't hear it. She wandered around, while staying in the same area, and continued to shout his name.

Ashamed, he stuck the mirror back in his satchel and removed the crystal to put it in his palm. Concentrating, he enveloped the glowing object in his fingers and began to recite some unintelligible words. The ground to rumble and a large crack opened in the path in front of the bush. Acting quickly, he covered it with brush leaves and dirt, praying that he still had time. Cautiously, he tapped the covering with a foot, testing the strength of the improvised lid. It was strong enough to hold a man, but Spidrens were another story. He grinned to himself and ducked back behind the bush to wait. 

***

Daine followed the tracks in the dirt, calling Numair's name in a hushed whisper. After realizing he was no longer there, she had begun to get worried, knowing his rage against Tristan Staghorn could lead him to disaster. The imprints from his boots told her so many things; that he was running, that he was stumbling, and that he fell once. These only made her more concerned. She felt helpless, so incredibly alone, without Numair or Cloud or Zek, even with Kitten trailing precariously behind her. There were no animals in the forest; they'd all gone, fearing the Spidrens. The quiet surrounded her and over took her thoughts. Soon she was stir crazy, searching for something to keep her mind off whatever she might find. 

She reached a path that she guessed was about half a mile from the cave, and noticed that the tracks had become jumbled in a mess of incoherent steps. She could hear the whistle from the pipe as it drew nearer. Searching for a place to hide, she behind a bush, where she was greeted with a surprised yelp.

"Mithros, Daine! What in all the gods' names are you doing here?" Numair lifted the startled figure off of his chest and sat her down beside him. She dusted of her clothes, and then his, seeing that they were much dirtier than her own. 

"I got worried when I looked up and you were gone, so I followed your tracks until I got to the trail, then I head the pipe, so I – " Daine was shushed a moment later when Numair put a large hand over her mouth.

"You heard the pipe?" he asked, in a barely audible whisper. She nodded in reply. "Okay, I want you to go further down the road. Stay hidden, no matter what you hear, understand?" Another nod. "Promise me you'll stay hidden, with no tricks from your animals. Promise me!" 

She removed Numair's hand from her mouth and took it in her own. "I promise, Numair." She kissed him lightly, then with more passion that bordered on inviting. He reached for her blouse, but she brushed his hands aside. "Later, my love." She stood and mouthed, "I love you," before turning and running down the path.

Numair watched her and Kitten go and sighed pleasantly. He looked around to find the crystal, which he had thrown away in his surprise. He found it, a few yards behind him, and stood to retrieve it. He stayed low to the ground, in case he needed to stay unseen. 

The pipe tune was growing louder as he picked up the heavy object. It began to glow as soon as he touched it. As he turned, he threw himself to the ground, since he had heard a stick snap behind him on the trail. He watched in silence as Tristan Staghorn led an army of a full score of Spidrens down the trail. Numair watched as Tristan stepped on the covering, and walked on, ignorant of the crack below him. The Spidrens drew closer, the three in the back holding the animals. They all responded to the music with a Neanderthal-like grunt and began to cross the crack in the ground. The leaf and dirt lid gave way underneath their weight and one by one they fell into a seemingly bottomless pit.

Tristan didn't notice until it was too late. The Spidrens, unable to stop themselves because of the call of the pipe, plunged into the hole in the ground. The player stopped his tune and pleaded with the entranced immortals to go no further. Nearly three quarters of the army had disappeared into the depths, but the few that remained were removed from their hypnotic state. They shook their human-like heads and turned upon Tristan in fury, which he avoided by. . . evaporating? 

__

What?! Numair kept hidden in the bush but stuck his neck forward to get a better look at the scene in front of him. There was no sign of Tristan Staghorn anywhere. He had vanished into thin air. _A Simulacrum. _Numair felt go wide as he realized his fatal mistake. He waited until the Spidrens were to enthralled in their own debates to stand dispose of them.

The two horses and marmoset, who had been long since forgotten, lay motionless on the trail. From what he could tell, they were hurt pretty badly. _But nothing Daine can't fix, _He thought as he knelt by Cloud's side. _No! She can't! It's just too dangerous. _ He stood abruptly and hurried off down the path.

***

Daine sat in total silence, hoping that the pounding in her head would subside. She had been hiding in the cramped crevice in the side of a hill for over and hour, and still no sign of Numair. Kitten was curled up at her feet, her head on her forepaws, but not really asleep. She too watched out the crack wondering if they would ever see Numair again. 

A crunch of rocks and sand under heavily weighted boots shook her out of her daydream. The glint from the sun was blocked out by a figure, unrecognizable from the glare of the light. "Numair?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

An evil laugh confirmed her fears, as she was dragged out by the front of her shirt into the bright noontime sun. She was brought face to face with Tristan Staghorn, who grinned at her sadistically and hissed, "You'd like to think that it was, wouldn't you?"

Author's Note: OMG it has taken me sooo long to write this. Special thanks to Sirena, who helped me out in so many ways, and also just a note to say

GET YOUR F****** STORY UP!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!


	11. Final Battle

Secrets

Secrets

Chapter Eleven: The Final Battle

The wind whipped past his face and the rocks under his feet caused Numair to 

stumble as he sprinted down the road. The black clouds overhead, which had begun 

to fill the sky not long after he had begun his run, loomed ominously to cover 

the sun. He glanced at the ground, searching for signs of Tristan or his lover. 

He knew he was probably too late, since the tracks he saw in the dirt were far 

from fresh. _A few hours at least_, he thought_. Gods, what have I done? It's all _

my fault. On he ran...

***

Daine was shoved from behind, her feet in total agony. _I think my ankles are _

swollen. Tristan Staghorn prodded her with a pointed finger, jeering at her predicament. 

"It hurts, doesn't it? Your feet, your head, your back? I'd have thought you'd 

be glad to be rid of that curse Arram put on you..." he stopped walking and grabbed her shoulder. "Yolane hated children. Forbid me to ask about it. But when she found out she was pregnant, I think she changed her mind. She lost the child, I remember the day she told me. 'Life goes on' she said. Well, it won't 

for you."

Daine was jabbed roughly in the back and forced to walk forward again. He was right, though. Her entire body ached, but her head the most, making it impossible to call for help. She pressed on, shuffling her feet as much as possible to leave Numair a clear trail...

***

Lightening streaked the sky as rain fell mercilessly upon Numair's heavy head. 

The cold, wet ground squished under his boots and he slung mud about as he 

stopped just outside the cane where he knew Daine had been hiding. He stuck his 

head inside the crack and whispered her name softly. The only reply was a quiet 

chirp from somewhere in the back of the cave.

"Kitten?"

The tiny dragon poked her head out of the shadows and chirped again. Her scales were nearly white, a color Numair had never seen before on a dragon. Her usually bright, slitted eyes were fixed in a translucent, empty stare. Carefully, he 

stepped forward and lifted her off the ground. She was amazingly light, since her bones were hollow like a bird's. She lay listlessly in his arms and gave a low eerie moan that sent chills down his spine.. Shaking it off, he said, "It's all right, Kit. We'll find her."

His reassurance seemed to calm her down and her scales turned a light shade of gray. Satisfied that he had done his part, her down again and reached inside his 

soaked robe for the focus.

It was gone. 

***

He'll come. He has to come. Daine sloshed about unhappily in the pouring rain, her arms crossed over her chest, The white shirt she had chosen to wear that 

morning was now soaked and see-through. Tristan chided her about it as they 

continued to move along. 

"Aww, come on. It's all right, no need to be shy..." He reached for her arms, but she pulled away quickly. "Am I really that repulsive, Veralidaine?" He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Yes!" she spat back, swatting his hand away. "Yes, a thousand times over! You are the most disgusting, loathsome, egotsi-"

He silenced her with a hard smack to the temple. "Watch what you say, _peasant. _I am an Imperial Mage from Carthak. You are a bastard from the middle of nowhere."

She spit in his face.

He stood stock still for a moment, as if he were contemplating what to do. Beginning to chuckle, he wiped the saliva from his head and flung it to the ground. Suddenly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced his lips on hers. She tried to hit him, but he shifted his hold to her wrists. She flailed helplessly, overpowered by the larger man.

_Help! _She called to anything close enough to hear. _Help me! _Her knees buckled underneath her and she fell limp into Tristan's arms. He laughed heartily as he let her drop to the ground.

"You didn't believe me, did you? I told you, didn't I? Now look what happened." He knelt down next to her, the rain beating on his back. Somehow, through all that this girl had done to him, he felt no enmity towards her. He watched her as she lay on the ground, water puddling around her, and found he wanted nothing more than to take her To make himself part of her. 

Daine looked away as Tristan reached for her blouse. She was too weak to fight, so she lay in silence as he stripped her of her wet shirt. Her breast band was not quite as soaked, but it clung to her closer than usual. She shivered as a finger was dragged down her side. She used the last of her strength to wiggle in the mud and get away from the hand, which jerked back as she did.

Tristan stared at the paralyzed figure on the ground in front of him. _I could do it, _he thought. _I could take her. She's helpless. _He saw a tear slip down her cheek. _That's exactly why I can't. _She sniffed back another tear and clenched her jaw. _I have to do it. _

Thunder rumbled in the distance as he ravaged her defenseless body…

***

_What am I going to do?_ Numair dug through the muddy earth, searching for the missing locket that he had his focus contained in. Kitten sat about ten yards away doing the same. _I'm not Daine! I've never done any tracking other than using my nose to find the kitchen! Gods, help me!_

He saw a shimmer in the air in front of him and stood quickly. The blood rushed to his head and he felt dizzy for a moment. The shimmer took a form and the badger god appeared in the rain. He shook his massive coat to remove the water, but soon realized it was no use.

_What are you doing here, Mage? _he said gruffly. _Where's my kit? _

Numair walked over to him with a confused expression on his face. "I was hoping you could tell me that."

The god growled in fury. _What do you mean? Why, if she's not around, did I come here?_

Numair saw Kitten trundle over, her scaled head lowered. She reached the two and held out a clenched forepaw. It opened slowly to reveal the claw necklace Daine always wore. The badger snatched it smartly out of Kitten's outstretched paw and snarled angrily.

_I leave her with you to protect her, Mage! I trusted you! Her parents trusted you! Weiryn is going to have your head as a trophy when he finds out! _The badger god began sniffing the soggy ground, then huffed in frustration. _It's too wet to track her by scent. We're going to have to do this the old fashioned way. _

Numair gulped. "I've never tracked anything before. I don't know how."

_Just follow the footprints, for gods' sake! Mithros, you act as though it were like building a bridge out of toothpicks. You think you're so smart…_

The man nodded and searcged the ground for the rapidly deteriorating boot marks. It took several minutes, but soon they were on their way…

***

Daine felt filthy. Her entire body shook, mostly from the cold of being naked outside during a rain storm, but also from the disgusting thing that had been done not five minutes before. She felt violated, like she would never have any privacy again. Tristan had taken part of her being when he had taken her body… when he had raped her.

"Get up. We must continue." Tristan stood about twenty yards away, putting his pants back on. He threw her muddy shirt and pants at her, which she took behind a tree to wring out and dust off. She did all this in silence as Tristan watched her with burning eyes.

When she came out from behind the tree, he grabbed wrist and dragged her on, dodging puddles as he did. 

__

"Numair will kill you," she said quietly. "He'll kill you slowlywhen he finds out what you did."

Tristan laughed and replied, "Oh, I doubt that, my dear." He continued to pull her along, but with less rigor. Their pace had slowed drastically a few moments after they'd begun walking again. "We're almost there, my love," he whispered. "We're almost there..."

***

Numair was getting closer. He knew he was. The tracks were becoming easier to see since they were more fresh and the rain had less of a chance to wash them away. He came to a patch on the trail where he found something peculiar. There was a shape in the ground where it looked as though somebody had laid down, with footprints circling all around it. Shrugging it off, he pressed onward with Kitten and the badger god following...

***

The scratching of rodents' claws on the ground and insects' chirping in the night were the only sounds Daine heard as she woke up from the nap she had taken when they had reached another cave in the mountains. Her clothes were still soaked and she smelled retched, but body no longer ached as it had before. She looked around for Tristan, who she found dozing at the front of the cave. He opened on eye and looked at her, saw she was awake, and, strangely, closed his eye again. Daine waited until she heard him snoring to stand up and creep towards the mouth of the crevice. She reached it and began to walk through. A jolting pain in her abdomen forced her backward. It subsided seconds later, and she tried again. She walked through the entrance and was knocked to her knees in agony. She crawled back into the cave and laid in the dirt as she sobbed.She curled up in a fetal position and waited until the pain went away before she moved again. She heard a soft chuckle at the wall of the cave and looked over to see Tristan watching her intently. 

"Go ahead," he said. "Leave. I dare you." He stood and walked out and back into the cave. Nothing happened. Daine got to her feet as well_. _Tristan stood behind her and pushed her forward. "I'm not going to stop you. Just go."

Daine watched him cautiously for a moment then took another step.

"Wait!"

She halted immediately. 

"I should warn you," he said as he inspected his nails. "That the entrance is guarded with a spell. If you take one step away from the cave, you child dies. See, if I can't have you, no one will_. _The only way you're ever getting out of here is if lover boy kills me." He walked out of the cave and called, "Have a nice day."

Daine wailed in disgust. "You've just thought of everything, haven't you?!" She sat back down to wait, hoping Numair was on his way…

***

The rain was letting up by the time Numair and his posse reached the summit of a mountain, but the ever present drizzle that fell from the sky was still a nuisance. He led Kitten and the badger god, who had shimmered in and out of the Divine Realms several times on their journey, down the worn footpath where the two sets of tracks were trodden.

He stopped them just outside a small opening in the rock, sensing a hint of magic in the air. He tried to enter the cave, but was thrown back as a flash of light and shocking blow came from inside. He sat up in time to see a dim glow vanish into the back of the cave, followed by a muffled, "THWAK". He followed the glow down the damp cavern, with the badger running to catch up.

_You're going to need my help, Mage, _he said. _Remember he's got Chaos on his side._

Numair nodded as he walked faster. The tunnel came to an end up ahead, but he could see a silhouette from the light of a lantern on the wall. Slowing down, he brought out the crystal and chanted in a whisper the words he'd been reciting all day.

"Cinubus, Exanumus, Zoté , Anis. Cinubus, Exanumus, Zoté , Anis." (A/N: pronounced, sin-oo-bus, ex-on-oo-mus, zo-tay, ah-nees.) As he said these words the crystal glowed brighter and brighter, until the sight of it blinded him. He threw it at the silhouette, screaming the words as the piece of crystal shattered and exploded, sending a shock wave through the enclosed space. A deafening blast shook stones from the ceiling and they poured down on Numair and the badger. A strangled cry came from down the tunnel as a mass of rocks and clay filled the air.

"Daine! Daine, where are you?!" Numair scrambled over the pile of rocks that he hoped were heaped on top of Tristan Staghorn.

"She's underneath your feet, Arram."

Numair turned slowly to face the man he hated more than anything or anyone in the entire world. Tristan stood at the bottom of the accumulated rocks, smirking. He was completely free of any debris from the cave-in, and yet he still looked wounded. 

"Your lover is *under* the rubble, Arram. What are you going to do about it?"

Numair watched him as he slowly made his way down the unstable load, tears forming in his eyes. _Now I've really done it. Goddess, give me strength._ "I'll kill you, that's what I'll do!" He hurled a black ball of fire at Tristan's head, but the other mage barely flinched as he countered with a ball of fire even larger than the first. The magic Numair had thrown disintegrated in seconds as the two orbs collided. The badger god snarled and threw himself at Tristan's back, who was bowled over by the large animals unexpected weight. Numair was on him in a flash, a spark of black at his fingertips that itched to wring his enemy's neck. Tristan gulped in surprise and smiled a smile that told Numair he was scared out of his mind. 

"He, I, uh, you really don't want to kill me, do you? It wouldn't solve anything, you know. She'd still be dead." He swallowed.

"She may still be dead, but I won't have to live, knowing I let you go." Numair let the black fame inch its way over Tristan's skin, crawling over his face and filling his mouth and nose. His eyes went wide as the magic swelled up, blocking his airways. Slowly, his lips turned purple, then blue, and finally white. He gasped for a breath as his eyes glazed over and he lay still. 

Numair fell over onto the ground, exhausted. The badger came over and patted him on the back with a heavy paw. "Nice work, Mage. Very nice work." He waddled over to the pile of rocks and began to dig, slowly at first, then faster as a muffled wail came from somewhere in the middle. Energized by the hope of that cry, Numair sat up and helped the badger throw the stones away. He saw a flash of skin before it was covered again by falling rocks. Daine's hand was the first thing he uncovered, he gripped it firmly as he finished exposing the rest of her arm, then her shoulder, neck, and finally, her head. 

Daine lay silent, but she breathed shallowly. Numair stroked her face, washing it with his tears. "Daine, my love, sweet Daine. Don't leave. Please don't leave me…"

***

Daine heard voices in her head. They were calling to her. She opened her eyes, then shut them up again. It was too bright outside. The sun was shining as she floated down a path the middle of a forest. She reopened her eyes and focused. She wasn't floating. Someone was carrying her: Numair.

"Unhh," she grunted uneasily. Numair jumped, surprised, and set her down on the ground. 

"Daine? Daine, are you okay? Say something Daine!" He shook her gently, but hard enough to shake her fully awake.

"Something Daine," she replied, smiling up at him. He looked at her as though she had come back from the dead, as she very well might have, since she didn't remember much past Tristan hitting her with a rock. 

"Great Goddess, you're alive! Thank you, Mithros! Badger! Come here! She woke up!" He called over his shoulder as he pulled her close to his chest. She saw the badger god run over on all fours, his ears pricked up happily.

_My kit! I knew you'd be all right! _He rubbed his head affectionately against her leg, since that was the only part of her Numair didn't have wrapped up in a hug. 

"I'm fine, Badger. Really, I just want to be able to breathe…" she trailed off, implying that Numair should let her go, which he did when he figured out she was not going to fall over dead on him. 

"Did you ever find Cloud and Zek? Spots, too. Can't forget about Spots. I was getting pretty worried until I got bashed in the head with half of a mountain." Daine stood up on her own, only faltering when she got a head rush. "So, did you find them?"

Numair bit his lip. Could he tell her? She was already injured, on top of being pregnant, and she would want to go help them. He knew where they were, and he could have someone come back for them, but he didn't know how long they would last. "Yeah, we found them."

"So let's go then," Daine started down the path.

He ran up and caught her. "No, I can't let you do that."

Daine heaved a sigh. "I thought we were past this, Numair. I told you before, I'm not going to stop healing or even talking to animals just because I get a little sick, or because you tell me to. Don't even try to tell me again."

It was his turn to sigh. "Daine, this isn't about me, or even you. You can't heal for the sake of _our_ child. Do you want her to die because you couldn't just leave the helping to someone else for a little while?"

Daine raised her eyebrows in question. "Her? Do you know something I don't?"

He chuckled lightheartedly. "I can hope, can't I?"

"I guess. But I still will not leave the only family I have-" she stopped when Numair glared at her. "The only family I have for now… I'm not going to leave her for dead in the middle of no where."

"We'll see when we get there…"

***

The hike back to the spot in the trail where Numair had left Cloud, Spots, and Zek took a lot out of the trio. Daine, Numair, and Kitten had gone on alone, while the badger god went back to the Divine Realms to tell Weiryn and Sarra the good news. 

When they reached the three animals, Daine was the first to gasp, followed shortly by a choking breath from Numair, and a gurgle from Kitten. Cloud, Spots, and Zek were covered in flies. The buzzing insects hovered menacingly over them crawled on them as they twitched helplessly. Cloud was the least hurt, with only a few scratched and cuts, except they were all severely infected. Spots had a broken hind leg and a nasty gash along his neck that was also infected, but Zek… Daine almost cried when she saw him. 

Zek was curled up between the bulky bodies of the horses, his tiny body covered in blood. Daine saw a bone sticking out of his leg, the wound beyond festering. She tried to pick him up, but he snapped at her hand, dementia taking over his mind. She was content to stand above him and enter his mind, but Numair stopped her before she did. 

"Daine, don't! You can't save him, it's over. Don't hurt yourself trying to save a lost cause!" Numair held her close, but she pushed him away. 

"Numair Salamalin, you listen to me. There is no way, in all Chaos' realm, that you will stop me from saving this creature. You could tie me up, knock me out… Hell, you might as well kill me because I might end up dead anyway, but I will never leave an animal without at least trying!" She breathed heavily as she finished her debate.

Numair backed down, knowing what that kind of talk led to: more yelling and often times, bruises. 

"So it's settled," Daine nodded triumphantly. She walked back over to Zek and stood above him. She closed her eyes and lost herself in concentration. She opened her eyes again, and found that night had settled over them. Numair dozed by a tree with Kitten in his lap. Her clothes were soaked, only not with rainwater anymore. Zek was out cold, but he was relatively healed. Only a few scars remained on his tiny body. 

Daine, who felt as though she would never walk again, shuffled over to Spots. He healed quickly, so she moved to Cloud who looked at her pleadingly. 

Maybe you shouldn't, she said, her mind voice shaking. Maybe we should just go, and I'll get help back at Tortall. Don't waste yourself on me. Come on, I'll be okay.

The girl shook her head. "I'm only going to do a little bit, just to…." She yawned. "Take the edge off."

The horse whinnied, but half nodded in submission. Daine took some of the pain off of Cloud's wounds before crawling back to the tree with Numair and Kitten to sleep away her exhaustion.

Authors Note: okay, it's going on 11:00 at night, and I am up finishing this story all for by best friend and worst critic, Sirena. (hey, I just might explain that one day. Ask me after break or something). So, as I finish, I just want to say that it has been so great hearing what all of you think, and I hope this last chapter will make you a little happier with me. BTW, this _is _the last chapter, but I have to write an epilogue before I abandon this completely. Thanks.

*Kyla*


	12. Epilogue

Secrets

**Author's Note: This is a lot longer than I intended it to be, plus I opened it up to be the opening for a probable sequel. I'm not sure whether I will actually write one or not, but I will eventually write another Tamora Pierce fic. I think I need a break from my usual stuff, so I'm going to try my hand at Harry Potter. Thanks for all your reviews. Here's the final entry for my fanfic, SECRETS.**

Secrets

Epilogue

Daine played with the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand and watched Numair as he slept. They had been married for almost three months now, and she had never been happier. They had honeymooned in the Divine Realms, followed by a trip to Carthak to visit Emperor Kaddar. Zek had stayed behind, happy to be home in the warm weather. He immediately settled into the forest with a female marmoset that he said, "Had a REALLY nice tail…" She laughed as he ran off at the call of his new love.

"Hmmm…. You should still be sleeping," Numair said from under the quilt that Mistress Cooper had made for them as a wedding present. "You'll catch your death in that flimsy night gown." He pointed outside to the blanket of snow that had fallen over night. 

"Then why don't you warm me up?" She got up slowly, her stomach getting in the way. She crawled into the bed with him, and let him wrap his large arms around her. His fingers just barely brushed as he encircled her in an embrace. This was depressing to her, even though she _was seven months pregnant. "Numair, do you still love me, even though I'm fat and ugly?"_

He looked at her in alarm. "Daine! I will _always love you, no matter what you look like. And besides, I happen to think that pregnant women are __very sexy…" He snuggled against her and kissed her neck greedily. Fear took over her senses for a moment and she pulled away from him._

"What? What did I do?" Numair sat up in bed, his bare chest glistening in the sunlight. 

"It-it's not you…I…I ….. I don't know anymore, Numair. I just don't like to have my neck touched." She thought back to the mountains, to Tristan, to everything that had happened to her. She had never told Numair that she had been raped. He would have gone insane, knowing she had been violated like that. He probably would have brought Tristan back from the dead just to kill him again. So he could never know.

"It's all right, Daine. I understand," he hugged her tightly as she sat back down. He didn't really understand, but she liked to pretend he did, so she lay back down and let him hold her as she fell back to sleep.

***

She woke up to an unfamiliar pain in her abdomen that caught her off guard. She cried out in surprise, and gripped the sheets to ease the twinge. "Numair? Something's wrong…" 

He sat up right, and helped her to her feet. A sudden pain caused her to cringe and fall back down. "I can't, I can't. Go get help. I think it's time…"

Numair nodded, his face pale. She lay back on the pillows, her legs brought up as far as she could bring them. She closed her eyes, hoping to drown the pain out in sleep, only to be shaken awake by a blinding light that nearly penetrated her eyelids. She opened her eyes again, and looked at what was standing in front of her.

Her mother, dressed all in sparkling green, smiled at her from the middle of the room. "I heard you cry out. I wanted to help."

Daine managed a half grin before she grimaced in pain. "It's too early, ma. The baby, it's coming to early."

Sarra nodded sadly, as she walked over to her daughter and sat next to her on the bed. "I know, sweetling. I know. It'll be all right, I promise. I'm here now." She took Daine's hand in her own, and touched her stomach gently. The pain she felt dissolved instantly and she sat back comfortably. 

"Why are you here at all, ma? I thought you had to stay in the Divine Realms for a century before you could leave." Daine laid her head back and sighed, hoping to have Numair back with her soon. Her mother was a great comfort, but Numair was the father of her child, and she needed him there with her. 

"Your father petitioned to let me come a few months ago, when you and Numair were married. Mithros and the Graveyard Hag persuaded the rest of the gods to let me be here when your time came. Looks like you're going to need me more than I thought you would." Sarra stroked her cheek, wiped a lock of hair off of her face. She got up and went to the dresser, where a basin of water sat, cold from the morning before. She took a small towel and soaked it in the water. Taking it back to the bed, she laid it on Daine's forehead. "My baby, my only child. You'll be okay." She let a silent tear slip down one cheek before she vanished, going back to the Divine Realms.

***

Numair searched for someone, specifically a healer, to help Daine. Unfortunately, there were few people around his Tower, and the Swoop was nearly a half a day's ride away. Angry with himself for having brought her there in the first place, he rushed back to the Tower, where he found Daine propped up on the bed, biting hard into a piece of leather. She let a low growl escape her throat as she glared at him evilly. He ran over to sit down next to her, but she pushed him away.

"Daine, I'm sorry! I couldn't find anyone! There isn't anyone around for miles,oh gods, are you all right?" Numair stepped closer, but far enough away so that she couldn't hit him.

She spit out the piece of leather she had been using as a relief from her pain. "Numair, I HATE YOU!" She stopped to cry out, and he went and took her hand. She tried to push him back. "Oh, go away….AUGH! No, wait, come back! Don't leave me, gods, don't leave me!" She grabbed his hand back and pulled him close to her, gripping his robes tightly. He hugged her, and then let her go, rewetting the towel on her forehead. He was too worried about her to think about where it came from. 

Daine went on swearing and cursing, mostly at Numair, but she seemed to be getting weaker as the contractions came closer together. Numair was beginning to panic. The palace was completely empty, all the knights off on patrol, or with Jonathan and Thayet in the desert. He paced the room when Daine wasn't making his ears ring with screaming, and when she was, he held her hand and talked her through it. She was growing pale, her creamy skin looking more grayish in color. He began to get worried.

Numair had no idea what he was doing. He remembered his mother had been a midwife until she died when he was about five. His father….he didn't remember his father. Right then, that made no difference to him, but what his mother had done, he struggled to recall what she had taught him. _Wait until the contractions are about two minutes apart…A voice rang in his head. He remembered._

_Wait until the contractions are about two minutes apart, then tell her to push down. Always down…Her voice soothed him, and he automatically took over the situation. __When you can see the head, guide it out with your hands. Don't pull! Not until the shoulders are out, and then do it slowly. Clear out the child's airways then clamp off the cord it two places, and then cut between the two clamps. Wrap the baby up quickly, so it doesn't get sick…Numair followed the voice in his head, doing exactly as he remembered. He could see her face, her full lips, her dark hair, and brown eyes. She told him what to do, how to help. He felt the life he held in his hands as it shivered a moment before letting out a blessed wail. A girl, his little girl. _

"Daine, Daine, are you okay?" He picked up a blanket from the floor where he had thrown a few before everything had just… happened. He wrapped his crying daughter up in it and sat down next to his wife. Daine was sweating profusely, her hair matted down to her head. Numair whispered in her ear, stroking her face with one hand while holding his child in the other. Daine reached out for the baby, whose cries had diminished to soft whimperings. All the color was gone from her cheeks, and she could barely keep her eyes open, let alone support the child. Numair laid her down in the wooden cradle they had been given at their wedding, and went back to take care of Daine.

***

Daine felt like her head weighed a hundred pounds. She could hear crying. All she wanted was to hold her baby. Numair wiped her forehead with a wet towel, held her hand, and watched the child all at the same time. She struggled to focus on his face, to see his reactions to their baby, the life they had created. But all she saw was a blur. The blur faded into darkness as she closed her eyes…

***

Numair watched as Daine closed her eyes and stopped breathing. He panicked, screaming out the door for anyone who happened to have come back. He checked her pulse at her neck. A shallow beat came every few seconds, reassuring him temporarily. He gave her one quick breath that made her cough harshly. Her eyes didn't open, but she continued to breathe on her own, which helped him calm down for the rest of the night, that he spent bathing his daughter.

Daine let her eyes flutter open, the dim light not bothering her. She focused after a few seconds and watched Numair as he attempted to feed a wriggling form in his arms. She giggled softly, but loud enough to make him look at her. His eyes lit up and he walked over to her proudly.

"Hey, Mommy," he said in an adorable baby-talk voice. "Look who's here to see you." She sat up in bed, allowing Numair to place the baby in her arms. She nearly cried when she saw the tiny body cooing at her. The black hair, gray-blue eyes, stubborn chin. "My baby. My little Anatolia." 

Numair looked at her oddly, since they had never before discussed names, but nodded in contented agreement. Anatolia it was. He took the child from Daine's weary arms and held her for a few moments before placing the sleeping baby back in her cradle. He began cleaning up the sheets, disposing of the bloody ones and replacing them with cleanly pressed cotton cloths. He helped Daine over to the washbasin where fresh water waited or her so she could clean up. The room wasn't back in livable order until some time later, when Daine had already fallen back asleep.

Numair sat about idly, basking in the glow of the midsummer's sunshine. It had been dawn, he remembered, when Anatolia was born. _Ana. I like that, he smiled to himself as he considered this simple nickname. Ana, his little ray of light. He watched her breathing in her cradle, her tiny chest moving up and down. He let his eye lids droop and fell asleep, dreaming peacefully._

***

Daine woke with a start as a piercing cry shattered her sound slumber. She got up, surprised at the amount of strength she had gained back while she had slept, and lifted the baby from her crib. She continued to cry, unappeased by the soothing coos that Daine whispered in her ear. _She's probably hungry, she thought. She felt afraid that she would not know what to do. Silently, she went behind the changing curtain and lowered the neckline of her loose nightdress. She let the child feed hungrily on her milk, wincing as she gummed fervently. _

Taking a towel, Daine placed it over her shoulder as she had seen so many mothers do back in Snowsdale. She lifted Ana up and patted her back lightly, and she was rewarded with a soft burp. Happily, she laid the tired baby back into the cradle. Yawning herself, Daine slipped back into bed, calling softly to Numair. He wandered over in a daze, stumbling on a crease in the rug. He mumbled something about the king before curling up beside her to sleep.

In the morning, Ana was up at daybreak, calling to be fed again. Numair handed her to Daine, who obliged willingly. Forced by Numair to stay in bed, Daine studied all of her daughter's features, hoping to see more of a resemblance to her and Numair than was visible externally. She soon found that Ana was had her stubborn nature and Numair's curiosity. She boasted Weiryn's fiery temper, and Sarra's good-natured spirit. Daine often wondered whether her child would also retain the gift of Wild Magic, which she had hoped to pass down to the next generation. 

The next few days passed by in a blur, with Daine confined to her room and Numair off in the library reading books on childcare. Ana showed no signs of having any magic at all, but Numair reassured her that it really was a bit soon to hope. 

The following week, the King and Queen arrived for their usual inspection of Numair's Tower. It wasn't really an inspection, since they didn't care what condition the Tower was in, as long as it remained standing. They just came because it gave them an excuse to get out of the palace. Numair greeted them warmly at the door, while Daine watched from the window above.

"Jon, Thayet!" he hugged each of them in turn. "What are you two doing here? That silly inspection really isn't that important, is it?" 

King Jonathan laughed lightly. "Numair, you know we never actually inspect this place. We just came on a whim, hoping to visit you before we set out on a trip to the desert with Alanna. Speaking of which, we invited her to come down with us, so she should be along shortly. She wanted to make a stop at the Swoop to see George…" he trailed off, smiling. 

Thayet nodded in agreement. "She was eager to come and see Daine, since she's getting near her time now. How is she, by the way? Excited, I expect."

Numair shrugged. "More tired, than excited, I think. Maybe you should ask her." He led them into the back room, where he cleared out all of his mess to make a nursery. They gasped in unison when they saw Daine, sitting up with Ana asleep in her arms. Thayet rushed over crying out in surprise and joy. She sat down on the bed next to Daine, who handed the baby to her friend. 

"Her name is Anatolia," Daine said quietly, watching as Thayet made faces at the oblivious newborn.

"Ana for short," Numair added, as Jonathan clapped him heartily on the back. "I think it's perfect."

Thayet motioned for her husband to come closer, careful not to wake the sleeping child. He moved up next to her and smiled. "She reminds me of Kally when she was born. Perfect in every way, only I think a bit larger than Ana… that's a beautiful name. Where on earth did you come up with it?"

Daine smiled meekly and shook her head. "I don't know. It just fits." She took back her daughter, who was now awake and squirming to be fed. She excused herself to go behind the changing curtain, while the other three stayed behind to talk. She took her time feeding Ana, who seemed content only when she was eating or sleeping. Her blue-gray eyes had only been seen once or twice, since she was still only a week and a half old and was not used to the light from the outside world. Once she was finished, she meandered back to the sitting room, where Numair, Jon, and Thayet had settled after she had left. Jon and Numair stood formally as she entered the room. She blushed and sat down on the couch next to Numair.

The evening continued on with talk of the peace treaties with the Scanran guerrillas, the king's upcoming birthday ball, and finally, Ana's scheduled introduction at the Royal Court. 

"You should have a formal baptism," Jonathan said, sitting up straighter in his chair. "She'd be the new beauty at court, with boys fawning all over her." He leaned forward and tickled Ana under her chin. She grunted affectionately in reply, then began to whine as a sudden rap at the door disturbed her quiet tranquility.

"That's probably Alanna, and about time, too," Jonathan stood and went for the door, but Numair got there before him and descended the spiral staircase. He was back moments later, with the Lioness trailing behind. Her hair was a mess from the howling wind that had sprung up the hour before, and her face showed her obvious agitation. She immediately flopped into Jon's chair, while he had gone to fix himself a drink. Not bothering to look up she nodded a quick hello and closed her eyes as if to take a nap. Numair cleared his throat loudly and shook her awake.

"What?! What in gods name do you want? Let me sleep, in all Goddess-" she stopped when Jon took the back of her head and turned it himself to stare at Daine and the bundle she held in her arms. The glare on Alanna's face vanished an instant later as she stood and walked over to the other side ofthe room to sit next to Daine. "Well I'll be gods-damned."

She took Ana in her arms and looked her over suspiciously. "Hmm. Looks real-" Ana mumbled in baby talk. "Sounds real…." The Lioness smiled genuinely at the child's mother. "I guess I was wrong Daine. I'm sorry. I guess I was wrong…"

Author's Note: It's over. Ah, ses la vi. I had so much fun writing this and hearing all of your replies. I genuinely hope that all of you are satisfied with the epilogue, because I had so many reviews asking for more about the wedding and the baby. Since I am losing sleep over this ending (it's nearly two 'o' clock in the morning) because I wanted to have it out to you before I went back to school and had no time to put it up, I think I'll wrap it up here.:: breaks into song :: So long, farewell…..

P.S. Thanks especially to Sirena who helped me with all of my musings and ideas. Don't worry, I won't continue that piece of s*** that I started a few weeks ago. I agree, it's not worth the trouble. 


End file.
